Compounds of the formula ab&#39;0.5 b&#34;0.5 o3 and process for preparing the same



United States PatentO 3,035,896 COMPOUNDS OF THE FORMULA AB B" O AND PROCESS FOR PREPARING THE SAME Lothar H. Brixner, West Chester, Pa., assignor to E. I.

du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Filed Aug. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 831,032

7 Claims. (Cl. 23-51) This invention relates to new and useful compounds possessing a perovskite structure.

Perovskite is a mineral having the chemical formula CaTiO (calcium titanate). It is a crystalline material having a characteristic structure, and other crystalline materials having a similar type structure are often referred to as perovskite-type compounds. Crystals of the perovskite structure are represented by the general formula ABO in which A is a divalent positive ion, and B is a tetravalent positive ion. The simplest perovskite crystal structure is a cube having one ABO formula per unit cell. In this structure, the A ions are at the corners of the unit cell, the B ion at the cell center, and the negative ions occupy the face-centered positions. Many investigators have studied crystals exhibiting the perovskite structure, and numerous perovskites with substitutions in the A and B sites have been reported. One of the earliest workers in this field was V. M. Goldschmidt who in 1926 reported (Skrifter Norske Videnskaps-Akad. Mat. Naturvid Kl. No. 2) the theoretical requirements and relationship for crystals of the perovskite structure. More recently, a comprehensive paper has been written by R. S. Roth (Journal of Research of the National Bureau of Standards, vol. 58, No. 2, February 1957, Research Paper 2736). In his work, Roth discusses the A+ B+ O crys tal structure of the perovskite-type crystal, as well as the A+ B+ O type structure. I. S. Waugh has reported (MIT Progress Report No. XXIII, p. 54 (1958)) perovskites with substitutions in the -A-sites, such as V have been reported by A. Rabenau (Z. anorg. Allgem.

Chem. 288, 221-34 (1956)).

The perovskite-type compounds of the present invention have the formula wherein A is a divalent alkaline earth metal ion selected from the group consisting of barium and strontium; B' is niobium; and B" is a trivalent metal ion selected from the group consisting of chromium, indium, gallium, lanthanum, and praseodymium.

The compounds of this invention are prepared by firing a three-component, powdered mixture of (1) an alkaline earth metal compound selected from the group consisting of barium oxide, barium carbonate, strontium oxide, and strontium carbonate, (2) niobium pentoxide, and (3) a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of chromium sesquioxide, indium sesquioxide, gallium sesquioxide, lanthaum sesquioxide, and praseodymium sesquioxide. The proportions of the components in such a mixture are 4 mols of the alkaline earth metal compound, 1 mol of niobium pentoxide, and 1 mol of the metal sesquioxide. These amounts are the stoichiometric proportions for the reaction shown in the equation given below. It is preferred to use materials of the best available purity, and in instances where a transition metal oxide is being used in less than its maximum valence state, it is preferred to use an alkaline earth metal oxide rather than a carbonate. Firing temperatures usually range from lce 1000 C. to 1400 C. The firing may be accomplished in one operation, or the powdered mixture may be fired, reground, pressed into pellets, and refired at a higher tem perature. Such procedures are well known in the art. In a preferred procedure, the powdered mixture of reactants is prepared by grinding the reactants under acetone in a ball mill. After separation from the acetone, the mixture is fired in vacuo at a temperature of from about 1000 C. to about 1200 C. for a period of from /2 to 2 hours. After regrinding and pressing, the resultant pellets are refired at a temperature of about 1300 C.-l400 C. for about 1 to 2 hours in vacuo. The product obtained is an A+ B+ O with substitution in the B sites. These materials are useful as dielectric materials for capacitors and as ceramic materials. They are especially useful as a ceramic for electrical equipment.

As a result of the firing, chemical reaction takes place according to Equation I when an alkaline earth metal carbonate is used, and according to Equation II when an alkaline earth metal oxide is used:

A, B, and B represent the elements as heretofore disclosed, and C and 0 represent carbon and oxygen, respectively. For example, when A is strontium, B is niobium, and B" is gallium, the reaction proceeds according to Equation III when SrCO is used, and according to Equation IV with SrO as a reactant:

For a clearer understanding of the invention, the following specific examples are given. These examples are intended to be merely illustrative of the invention and not in limitation thereof. Unless otherwise specified, all parts are by weight.

EXAMPLE I A mixture was prepared comprising 10.00 g. of SrCO and 3.174 g Ga O and 4.501 g. Nb O which are stoichiometric quantities of reactants for the equation:

The mixture Was ground in an agate ball mill under acetone for 1 to 2 hours, filtered and dried. The mixture was fired for about 2 hours at a temperature of 1200' C. The cooled product of this heating was weighed to check that the theoretical amount of "C0 had been eliminated. The fired powder was remixed, this time dry, and was pressed into a pellet l in diameter using a pressure of 20,000 p.s.i. This pellet was then refired at 1400 C. for 1 hour in vacuo. The ceramic polycrystalline pellet resulting was of about theoretical density.

The product was a white crystalline material. Chemical analysis showed the material to contain 20.78% Nb. The calculated Nb content for SrGa Nb O is 21.41%. X-ray diffraction analysis showed the crystalline material to be of cubic structure having lattice parameter a =3.9477 A. The electrical properties are listed with data for other samples in the table of Example II.

EXAMPLE H Using the same general procedure as given in Example I, the compounds listed in the following table were prepared and tested by the procedures described below.

3 The parameters of all cubic compounds were determined on the basis of powder diffraction patterns obtained in a 114.6 mm. Philips camera at 24.5 C. All films were corrected for film shrinkage and the parameters given 4 I claim: 1. A process for producing a compound of the following formula 2:1:1 g; ggg iig g g zg ig'gggg ik lfg 535 wherein A is selected from the group consisting of barium obtained use of a giffractometer 6 re and strontium; B is niobium; B is selected from the .2 group consisting of chromium, indium, gallium, lantha- The densrtles of the new corn ositrons were determined by X-ray diffraction methods and by means of pycand prasaodyn-mum; and 0 18 oxygen compnsmg. nometric measurements. The densities were determined firing a powdered mixture of (1) an alkaihl-le earth metal on powdered spacimens of mesh For the y compound selected from the group consisting of bar um nometric measurements the samples were weighed into made barium cairbqnate Stroll-t .1 um oxlde and stronm-lm a 5 m1 pycnometer and CCl was distilled onto the samcarbonate; (2) moblum pentoind-e; and (3) a {natal mud-e ple uner Vacuum 4 selected from the group conslsting of chromium sesquroxide indium sesquioxide gallium sesquioxide lantha- Resistivities were determined with an im edance brld e and the dielectric constants were de erm ined from :a Hum Se-Squ10X1d-dand praseodymmm -sesqmoxlde the proportions in sai powdered mixture being 4 mols of the gg g s g gf sgi gz g gi gfg zfi t s 5 1 alkaline earth metal compound, 1 mol of niobium pentox- 1 ti hi q y y g 1de, and 1 mol of the metal sesqmoxide. Ons p 2. A compound having the formula where wherein A is selected from the group consisting of barium C and strontium; B is niobium; B" is selected from the i??? 3 t t group consisting of chromium, indium, gallium, lanthae ig hi h 8 85 10 12 num and praseodymium; and O is oxygen.

y 0 we space W c 1S X 3. As a new composition of matter, a compound of d 5:? E 1 chemical formula SrNb Cr O having a dielectric con- 1C 635 o samp e stant of about 27.

Any errors due to inaccuracies in measurement of the 4. As a new composition of matter, a compound of radius and thickness of sample are within the limits of chemical formula BaNb La O having a dielectric conexperimental error in this art. stant of about 74.

Table LatticZ Ptaraitneters, Density Measu ren1 5 men s, g. cc.- Composition Chemical Analysis, Color Crystal Dielectric Resistivity,

Wt. percent Structure Constant ohm. cm.

a 00 c/a X-Ray Pycnometric Sr srNbuxCr joa 1211.9?3(g2.5%). ligglt 0l ic---.-. 3. 9421 5.64 5.70 27.73 8.00-10 X'OVn. Sr SrNbu, Gao,5O3 giaisuizfi }Whit9 .-.d0 .9477 5.85 5.79 13.7 10

Ba ;l SINbO 5In0 503. do -.d0 4.1454 6. 74 6. 73 13.9 10 SrNb0 In O@ Eb 18 97 (19 ("do d0 0569 5. 95 5.85 10.3 10

B 44. 6 45.5611: Distorted 4.298 4.327 1. 009 6. 24 s. 07 74.4 2.3 10 BaNbMLaMOK --{Ni ;15fi;3 15 4i) cubic. fi bd.s o.sos gf i?% f '::}yellow cubic- 4.285 6.38 6.30 7 1,5401

1 The number in parentheses in each case is the theoretical value for the compound.

The data given in the above table are considered to establish that the products of this invention are new compositions of matter of the above formulae. Moreover, this table is significant from the standpoint of the electrical data set forth therein, particularly the high dielectric constants which render the materials useful in the manufacture of capacitors.

Since 'it is obvious that many changes and modifications can be made in the above-described details without departing from the nature and spirit of the invention it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to said details except as set forth in the appended claims.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,992,929 Clement et a1. July 18, 1961 

1.2. A COMPOUND HAVING THE FORMULA 